Tuesday, February 28, 2006

What is lost in the article, although given a first sentence mention, and will be sure to gain the ire of many is this:

With the demolition of Newport's riverfront housing projects now under way, the battle among developers for what could be the biggest redevelopment project in the city's history is about to begin.

...

The city is under a fairly tight deadline because demolition recently began on the site's public housing, which consists of 31 buildings totaling 200 apartments. The site is expected to be cleared by June.

If this were to happen in OTR, we would have protests, lawsuits, and TV Cameras. The demolition has already begun. 200 apartments of people are already displaced, not to return to the site, unless they gain wealth beyond their prior means.

What is keeping this from happening in OTR at this point? Is it happening at all in OTR, and not getting any more attention?

It has been a clear and obvious fact to most, but the Cincinnati Post will die once their JOA with Gannett ends. I find it very unlikely that it will do anything other than being a Northern Kentucky newspaper, whether daily or not is the question.

For Bronson, movies, TV, and art can't be complicated. It is easy to brand "Narnia" as "Christian," but it is as Christian as "Platoon."

I give Bronson for one thing, he saw the movie he is criticizing, namely "Brokeback Mountain." He attacks other movies with one phrase labels. I don't think he saw "Good Night and Good Luck." I think Bronson would like it. Anyone claiming to be a Journalist of any stripe should adore that movie. It speaks for Freedom of the Press more than any movie last year.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

The abortion debate has been heating up lately, and I have not been one to shy away from it, which is actually not normal for me. Anyway...

Via Atrios we steered to what gets at the more honest questions that people have to face over this issue. From Oliver Willis:

This will be an intriguing question that should be asked in the 2008 election: Do you support the imprisonment of doctors for up to five years for the alleged “crime” of performing an abortion, as South Dakota’s legislature demands?

This question is not one of the questions at the core of the abortion debate, but covers the real life consequence lawmakers and crusaders have when they pass laws, without thinking about what they are doing, instead of only thinking about how many votes the might get for what they are doing.

The follow-up question I would ask is "do you support the imprisonment of women for up to fives years for the alleged 'crime' having an abortion?" Then you can ask is it a crime to conspire to assist in the alleged 'crime' of having or performing an abortion, which would entail the imprisonment for such a crime. Both bring the issue down to what happens if you make abortions illegal. What punishment should people be forced with when they are making personal decisions that shouldn’t be the business of the state?

Bottom line here is the distinction in the abortion debate that gets lost: being against abortion and being for laws banning it and/or making it a crime.

The polling on this is what I think goes back and forth in the debate, all over how the questions are phrased: do you support abortion? Well, no, I don't want people to have to have abortions, so, no. Do I support a legal ban on abortion? Hell no! People should have the right to control their own bodies.

The other big question that doesn't get asked or answered is "If you want to end Abortions, why don't you support the prevention of abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies through use of contraception?"

This then gets us back into the cycle of the core debate, which I agree with others gets very tiresome and pointless. That debate is coming back as a battle, and those seeking to outlaw abortion appear to be willing to anything to outlaw it. That battle will be met with more opposition than I think they expect. The over-reach will be ever-present with actions of the likes of Tom Brinkman, who is of the mindset to force all to act at the whims of those who share his basic religious beliefs. To them there are no questions to ask, just orders to follow.

Friday, February 24, 2006

John Kiesewetter is reporting that 700 WLW-AM will begin broadcasting on XM Salellite Radio channel 173.

Is this a deal Clear Channel has with XM with other CC stations or just WLW? Will this drive WLW even farther away from local radio, and more towards crap. I understand and concur that it already has a large level of crap, but their news coverage has the only really live breaking news coverage of most issues through-out the city. If I fear something big happened in town, I am turning on the radio, not TV. Well, that is unless it is during a Red's game.

First I wonder if Si Leis is billing Bush for security? The President got free reign on our highways, so it certainly cost a bunch. The visit was purely political, so I hoped someone other than the government paid for hauling Bush's political team around.

Anyone rich enough to attend the event care to share any of the "speech" Bush made? Did he vamp on about DeWine or did he spew more trite propaganda?

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

I would appear that things are getting a wee bit personal in the battle over CityLink. It is odd to want to ouster a community council president because he supports a project that for now won't happen. It sounds like personal conflict is made ripe from opportunity for action. Dale Mallory has enemies on the council, and they appear willing to act.

There is not any retort from anyone on the other side of the issue discussed in this article. Other than one sentence, there is no balance to counter weigh the claims of Steve Chabot. Yes, this is about abortion and your can bet there are plenty of people willing to go on record on this hot button issue. When Chabot is allowed to make a quoted claim about the law, outside speculation on the court policy, it should be required to get a quote to counter his undocumented claims that really have no bearing on the point of the article.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Step one in the effort to control women's bodies begins outlawing of IDX and D&E procedures. My estimation is that this the Federal banning such procedures will be rule constitutional, even without a health provision. It will be a 5 to 4 decision. Reproductive rights are now hanging by a thread. The 2008 election will likely decide for a generation what kind of society we shall live in, a right wing theocracy, or a democracy where individual/personal freedoms outweigh the religious conviction of others.

From worrying about dirty tricks to making a fool out of one's self on national cable TV, Hackett needs to go back to his law practice. Chris Mathews cheaply goaded him with the Bush 'coke' question, which Hackett butchered. I like Hackett. I would have love him being my congressman, and I was not opposed to him being Senator, but he looks so very bad right now. It is true that he got screwed over because he didn't have a big enough war chest, but his lack of political experience is starting to show, and likely would have meant DeWine would have crushed him come November.

These community centers reek of Communism, don't they? What good red meat suburbanite would be caught dead in a place where a community comes together in a secular manner?

In all seriousness I don't have a problem with these centers. I still wonder at the psychology of those living in the suburbs. Do they just want life in a small town or do they want to live in a big city? Trying to be both looks to me like they are trying to force community out of walled off neighborhoods. How can that work in the long run?

The worst part is it in Mason, Gay families can't get family memberships, unless someone changed a policy that I don't know about.

Is this some kind of new way to make politics seem sexy or trendy to women? I guess I am on a gender bias watch today or something, but I find it insulting on some level that the President's visit is covered by the Tempo Section, where is painted in the MTV Cribs style, call it Pol Cribs. Fluff appears to be the only way people can understand politics. The guy with the best wine list wins, I guess.

Adding a sidebar with Stan Chesley is trying to make this a non-partisan thing. I am glad they show their house so no one confuses this extremely rich people with the common humans living in the real world.

I will mock for a second though: the wife, Margie, is listed as a "composer and lyricist." Ok, is that a hobby, like I am a writer, or has she published music?

The Woes of Jean Schmidt and Tom Brinkman and a cake make for humorous fodder. I wonder, honestly, if Brinkman would have made such a profoundly nasty joke right to Schmidt's face if she were a man. Brinkman is a classic conservative, who likely views women as the weaker sex. His type would lash out at any woman trying to do what he considers a man's job, his job particularly.

Jean does need to get over it, but this little episode I think shows Brinkman to be a cutthroat politician, literally. He goes for the kill, even at inane moments like cake cuttings. His desire for political conflict is a dangerous one, and more evidence of why he is not fit for public office, expect maybe as dogcatcher or Sheriff.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

News coverage in the tri-state area shall take another blow with the closing of the Sunday Challenger. The Northern Kentucky focused paper issued their last edition today, after publishing for about 18 months. It will be missed.

In the Tank CincinnatiThird Thursday of the month at 7:30 pmIn the Tank Cincinnati reports on sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, sometimes bizarre happenings in the Greater Cincinnati area.

The show I saw ranged from a short piece on Woman Writing for a Change, a local Travel website owner, a local food expert, to a history of Ohio Presidents. They need a better website, but keeping to their video focus is best at this point. I would want an archive of the programs online, which I can't find so far.

The coolest thing I learned from the show is that Mt. Washington is part of the land George Washington owned, but never saw.

I am a 'member' of www.zipscene.com, but at this early stage I don't see their website adding much to local nightlife. Their discount card might add a few more people going out, but this site is really a marketing tool for business. It adds nothing to me at this point. I am a bad example, since I already use several other sources to find out what is going on around town, but so far Zipscene is limited to the business who use the service, so the average user is not getting a full picture of the events going on around, just a marketing pitch from businesses with either a good marketing team or just the cash to spend on it. As a marketing tool, this kind of thing works great. As a service to the public, it has a long way to go before it gives something more than a CityBeat or Cinweekly can provide.

Peter Bronson is making two divergent points while trying to only make one. His article is about a religious group indoctrinating kids into becoming Christian shock troops in the media. His conflict comes plainly:

"Our hope is that someday at some moviemaker, some of our people will be in the room when they want to make an R-rated movie to say, 'We don't need to do that,'" said executive director Mike Volette.

...

The idea is not to push a Christian agenda, he said, but to have people in media who at least understand Christianity."

If the idea is not to push a Christian agenda, then what's the deal with being against "R" rated movies? Read this section:

Two-thirds of the $1.5 million invested in the UndergroundZone came from business sponsors such as Cincinnati Bell, Key Bank and Grippo's. But more sponsor help is needed to train "media missionaries," to take their message into the deepest, darkest heart of hostile Hollywood and tone-deaf newsrooms.

It sounds like hazardous work. Cartoons of missionaries in pith helmets tied to stakes or being cooked in giant pots come to mind. But maybe there's hope.

Just this year, TV shows have been canceled or rewritten after protests by Christians. "The Book of Daniel" on NBC, about a pill-popping priest and his sidekick surfer-dude Jesus, was yanked almost immediately. And ABC has agreed to cut scenes in an April 13 "Will & Grace" that had Britney Spears mocking the Crucifixion of Christ.

"Media is not good or bad," Vollette said. "It just depends on how it is used."

Now that sounds like a fruitful salt ministry.

Once again Bronson contradicts his own points within his own column. Either the guy he's interviewing believes "The idea is not to push a Christian agenda" or he's creating Storm-troopers to go out and try and get "Will & Grace" censored because a bunch of prudish Christians are too sensitive to have the religion questioned through the mass media. He can't be both. Trying to be both means you are lying to someone.

Sorry Peter, this program is all about pushing the Christian religion. What is sad, is that the kids are likely being mislead into thinking otherwise.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

I will agree that the CAC has a bunch of problems and I am not a fan of the building, but to judge the attendance and importance by what you saw on one weekday visit and to view the building as hip to only the old fogies from the 80s and 90s, you sound like a lazy inept critic who phoned in his trip to the Queen City.

The only point this guy makes worth while is the fact that membership is down to pre-move levels. Some of that is out of the control of the CAC, but one of their biggest problems is that they do little to bring people into the space. Art should be for the people, not just for a few snobs looking for a faux sense of superiority. John King, the critic, fits that faux sense with what appears to be his inanity to get over the changes Cincinnati underwent since he was an intern (kid) here 25 years ago.

Mr. King should have seen the CAC last Friday night where a large crowd enjoyed a great evening of art and lightening music from the Heartless Bastards. That event brought WEBN-FM to the CAC. Freaking white-bread WEBN! Variety is what the CAC needs and it can't be pretentious and expect anyone but art freaks to join. Cross promotions with other arts groups, like the Cincy Fringe Festival, are what a contemporary arts museum should make its priority. Anything less and this museum becomes what it was created to be an alternative to: the institutionalism of the Taft Museum.

I find I get more pissed by critics who slam Cincinnati at the drop of a hat out of laziness, personal spite, or ignorance. I think King has achieved a hat trick with all three.

I love the idea of Streetcars in Cincinnati linking all of the tourist and entertainment districts. Would it work? That depends on how big a system one envisions. I don't know enough about how this will be financed.

Some kind of targeted and versatile mass transit should be developed to link Northside -Clifton -OTR -CBD -Riverfront -Mt. Adams -Newport -Covington -Airport. With the right structure, pricing, and schedule a route could be created by Metro. Using a special or even smaller bus would add a unique and attractive experience to make it complementary to the tourist/entertainment districts, not just utilitarian.

With the auction of the Newport IMAX lease, the Enquirer reports that this could lead to a sale of the location. What could work on the site? The theater is a very unique structure, so what ever it is will have to be different. I would guess a bar/nightclub could work. Would a live music club work or even be economically feasible?

I think I once hear someone claim a laser tag location could work. What else?

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

It is something out a Marx Brother's film. The Democratic Senators leading seem to not know how to talk to candidates. No wonder people don't want to run as Democrats. To hear the harsh comments coming from politicos around the country, one wonders how any of them know shit about who would win the freaking primary. I guess it the tone, not so much the comments, but I get this feeling of Ohio and the Dems here getting our change yanked by the National party. Let us run our own candidates, you guys just send the money.

If you want a freaking smoke filled room, join the GOP. I like friendly primaries, and if power was not such a drug, good people might actual run and get elected to office.

DINO Dusty Rhodes is spear heading a movement to lease the radio station from a Christian Broadcast Company that will broadcast an oldies station. No word on if this will be 24 hour broadcast or a selective programming block.

WSTR is dropping their local 10PM newscast. I do not like the reduction of local news coverage. I was not a fan of this or any Sinclair outlet, which had very biased national news coverage, but I can attest to their local coverage because I did not watch much of it. I will not miss what I don't watch, but I prefer media competition.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

The drum beat is rising from National Democrats for Paul Hackett to drop out of the race to face off against Senator Mike DeWine. Instead Dems seek Hackett to go again for the Congressional race here in the 2nd district. With Paul declaring for Senate would his ego take dropping down a level at this late point?

With neither courage nor ethical justice Tom Brinkman has helped introduce a bill in the Ohio House to ban gay & lesbian adoption. House Bill 515 is an abusive attack on liberty and is a hateful spew intending to legislate a bigoted belief based on a selective religious doctrine.

There are no reasons for introducing this law that can not be traced to hate. Any rationale for is based, TOTALLY, on the hate and fear of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered. I say this matter of factly, and I am sure to gain the ire of the right wing fucks out there, but I will without any hint of regret repeat this concept at any point in the future this issue arises.

What troubles me most is the devil's bargain many in the GOP have made with the religious right. There are many in the GOP who don't support and will not support this bill, but they will do little or nothing to oppose it and many even support it. When you support or just vote for candidates like Tom Brinkman and Ken Blackwell (wonder if he supports the bill, ha!), you are giving credence and resource to the forces out push hate via legislation on Ohio. This is merely the softest point for the Brinkman's to hit. The bigotry towards gays is still one of the few unfettered philosophies in America. This law has support from people who are still scared and ignorant about gays and lesbians. Otherwise good people will be suckered in by the fear and bible waving the Brinkmans will do in their coy and cryptic manner.

It is also nearly as sad that some Democrats will support this bill. Unlike gay marriage, the numbers I believe will be small, but those few who do deserve a large level of disdain and outright opposition.

For me personally it is just a matter of trying to understand the motivation. Why do people hate gays? Why do you hate gays Tom Brinkman?

I am watching the end of the Sweden vs. Russia Women's Hockey Game before I head to my coffee indulgence. Is anyone else following the Olympics? I have followed the Olympics (winter and summer) since 1980 when I was an 8-year-old kid amazed that the Russians were in my state. It didn't matter that they were at the other end of New York State, some 6 hours away, it was just a spectacle I had to watch and watch it live as soon as I was home from school. The TV would stay tuned to Jim McKay until I had to go to bed. The time issue was not a problem, so that really help peek my interest.

This year, as with the Olympics for at least the last 10 years (likely since NBC took over coverage) I have lost a lot of interest. I know that the Jingoistic American Culture cares nothing for sports, outside of watching 'America' win, but I thought that in today's modern and connected international community more attention would be paid to the Olympics. In this first day of competition, I am not feeling that community. Is anyone?

Once again Kevin Drum succinctly summarizes the Paul Pillar revelations on intelligence about WMD and more specifically the mythic Saddam-al Qaeda relationship.

But the Saddam-al-Qaeda connection is entirely different. Not only did the Bush administration manipulate the intelligence, but I don't think they even believed in it themselves. It was pure pretense from start to finish.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Mean Jean Schmidt has to be cheering on the possible run by Tom Brinkman for her 2nd District seat in Congress. A three way race with Schmidt, Brinkman and Bob McEwen is how Jean won the GOP special primary the first time. Also, I am very aware of the horrible image I placed in people's minds in the last sentence with use of the term "three way" followed by three names I apologize now for what will likely be years of therapy before that image can be stricken from your mind.

In my Radio Voice: Earthly bound citizens of Cincinnati, I give you Sarah H. Eichenberger of Queen City Forum.

This article has, for the lack of a better term, BALLS! It hits the Continental Lounge right where it hurts: the snob gland. On a man it's right between his balls. On a woman it's between her breasts and where her spine meets the back of the brain.

Sarah points to the solid point that provoked me to write about the club when it was first announced: If you are a city version of a country club, ok, but don't pretend to be altruistic about it and think it will change the world, let along the city. I mean, I know all of the world's problems would end by osmosis if we just formed exclusive cliques.

Kudos' go to Michael Altman, head honcho at QCF, first for getting Sarah on his team and secondly for running this story in light of his involvement with the Continental Lounge. Quality journalism starts with allowing conflicting viewpoints on issues management may be connected to. I believe this shows a level of professional maturity that other media outlets, like say the Enquirer, could learn from.

Joe Wessels ponders changing his name to "Nate Livingston." With this blog post I believe the betting can begin on how long it will take Nate to post an attack on Joe. I will start the pool with three hours.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

City Council voted 8 to 1 to oppose the CityLink services center in the West End. Cecil Thomas was the lone no vote. It appears from the article that what was voting on was a toothless resolution that means nothing to the actual development of the project.

What better way to gain support of the West End than to say you oppose the project, but then do nothing substantial to actually stop it.

Other than people playing the NIMBY card, I don't see why they oppose it. It has the potential of being a religious brainwashing camp, but as long as they don't get public funding, they can do that.

Ok, this blog post from Howard Wilkinson deals with people wanting David Pepper to run Ohio AG, but the more noteworthy item reported is that Pepper is likely running for County commissioner. This has been rumor and speculation for a while, but this is first time I have seen it reported (blogged in this case) as something closer to fact than rumor.

5 Members of City Council reportedly oppose CityLink, and plan on moving today to block the service center's development in the West End.

Who are the 5? Leslie Ghiz is quoted in the story as being part of the block of 5, but I don't see the rest listed in the article. Was anyone at the Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee meeting to know who is part of the group?

There is a Forum tonight at the Lincoln Recreation Center in the West End, 1027 Linn St. at 6PM to discuss CityLink. The Paper reports that for what ever reason the group opposing the development will not attend. That seems strange. Are they being kept out or are they being childish?

Monday, February 06, 2006

I know nothing about Raga. I find it odd to through geographic balance to the wind and pick someone from Mason. It would appear the Blackwell is righting off the Northeast completely. His plan has to be to get the religious vote and nothing but the religious vote, which lies in greatest concentration in Southwest Ohio.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

I never would have expect to see Nate Livingston follow the lead of the Dean of Cincinnati by attacking Nick Spencer. I wonder what else Nate will do to emulate Jason. Is there a wardrobe change in his future?

Friday, February 03, 2006

Ok, a man was shot and killed in the Mason, Ohio Area (fourth item, buried at the bottom), namely near the Kings Auto Mall, and we don't get the interviews with locals saying that it is unsafe to live in Mason??? What gives? Where is the balanced reporting? The reporters couldn't find anyone to go on the record? Hell, I work within a mile or two from where this guy was killed. I would be happy to say that I will be fearing for my life every time I go to work in the Mason Area. I would be lying, but hell it is as valid of a comment as was printed by the paper when someone was killed behind Mulligan's in Hyde Park. I expect to read a follow-up story in tomorrow's paper with neighbors of this man expressing dismay and fear of the living in Mason.

I was at Mulligan's last night, by the way. I had a nice time. I felt safe. The place was a empty for the night of a Xavier basketball game.

FYI: Just to avoid the likely criticism, yes, it is tragic that a man was shot and killed. I am not commenting on that. Instead I am questioning the coverage the crime got in the Enquirer as compared to the coverage of the murders in Hyde Park. I know most readers can grasp this fact, but I am sure some commenter will be shocked that I am commenting on this so soon after a man’s death. Nothing I have stated is distasteful, in my opinion, so I suggest anyone no pleased with this type of blogging to find another blog to read.

This will be a news flash to few, but Jason Haap, aka the Dean of Cincinnati, has come out with an insane attack again Nick Spencer. If you disagree with Nick's politics, ok, I can respect that. I don't agree with some of Nick's views. To come out with this insane racist attack against Nick for the name of the event is just, well, insane. I prefer to stay away from the insanity that is the Dean, but when you make up bullshit attacks against Nick like:

So the effeminate and white Nick Spencer feels some kind of affinity towards Desdemona, who gets brutally murdered by an uninformed black man.

You do the math.

you really need to step back and ask yourself: Does wearing a cape in public mean you are "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" nutty, or just "What About Bob?" nutty? In the case of the Dean it appears to be that Jason has reached into the bottom of the barrel of tricks to try and get attention and has come up with a straight-jacket.

It is time for the Dean to grow up. When you act like an ass and get kicked out of Nick's bar, face the music and suck it up. Don't act like a three year old child and make up bullshit that sounds like it would be coming out of the mouth of Louis Farrakhan.

I will happily await the retort I get for my honest views I have ranted out here. I expect the worst bile possible, and am ready to defend my dropped gauntlet. It is sad when Nate L. comes across as more dignified than the Dean, but Hell, we are in Cincinnati baby!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Local House Rep. John Boehner was elected House Majority Leader today by his fellow House Republicans. Will this help the people of his district or the rest of Southwest Ohio? Will he be someone that will work with Democrats or just be more of the same lockout partisan style of legislating.

With recent talk of a city wide smoking ban, we get a local business banning smoking on their own and it appears that business is not hurting at all. Sitwells does sell alcohol, but I don't consider it a bar. Could bars survive this type of self ban?

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

The intent of this law requiring ID when voting is meant to suppress the number of people voting. This is NOT about voter fraud, no matter what bullshit comes out of GOP partisan's mouths.

How better to get fewer people voting than to make it more difficult to vote? Who is this aimed at? If you said minorities than you unfortunately would be correct.

In comments you will surely hear the GOP claim that this is about "voter fraud" or some other "legitimate" reason. They will need to show how this will prevent voter fraud. There is no evidence this will do anything to reduce voter fraud, and instead it will do nothing but decrease voter turnout. Why are we taking steps backwards in society?

Nick Spencer has announced the event set for Sawyer Point on June 23 and 24. This fest sound like a great event which as a center piece will put on great music. As Nick states in his post, this is just the beginning to what the whole festival will include, but save the dates, and stay tuned for details.